ON  THE  ROCK-SALT  DEPOSIT  OF  PETIT  ANSE: 
LOUISIANA  ROCK-SALT  COMPANY. 


REPORT 

OF  THE 

AMERICAN  BUREAU  OF  MINES. 


NEW  YORK: 

AMERICAN  BUREAU  OF  MINES,  44  EXCHANGE  PLACE. 

1867. 


ON  THE  ROCK-SALT  DEPOSIT  OF  PETIT  ANSE: 
LOUISIANA  ROCK-SALT  COMPANY. 


REPORT 

OF  THE 

« 

AMERICAN  BUREAU  OF  MINES. 


NEW  YORK: 

AMERICAN  BUREAU  OF  MINES,  44  EXCHANGE  PLACE. 

1867. 


5 53,  G3 
A (Tw  3 


AMERICAN  BUREAU  OF  MINES, 


No.  44  Exchange  Place, 

New  York,  January  4,  1867. 

Messrs.  Chas.  A.  Weed,  F.  J.  Pratt,  and  Charles  P.  Chouteau  : 
Gentlemen  : 

We  have  the  honor  to  hand  you  the  Report  of  the  Bureau  on  a recent 
examination  of  the  Rock-Salt  Deposit  of  Petit  Anse,  conducted  by  the 
Board  of  Experts,  to  which  your  inquiries  were  referred. 

GEORGE  D.  H.  GILLESPIE, 

President. 

GEORGE  R.  A.  RICKETTS, 

Secretary. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/onrocksaltdeposiOOamer 


Board  op  Experts,  i 

American  Bureau  of  Mines,  V 

No.  44  Exchange  Place,  New  York,  Bee.  24,  1866.  ) 

G.  D.  H.  Gillespie,  Esq.,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  : 

Dear  Sir  : 

The  Board  of  Experts  has  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  its  unani- 
mous Report:  on  the  Salt  Deposit  of  Petit  Anse  Island,  Louisiana. 

This  Report  is  based  upon  the  preliminary  examination  of  Mr.  C. 
Elton  Buck,  of  this  Board,  and  the  notes  of  a more  detailed  investiga- 
tion by  Dr.  C.  A.  Goessmann.  Consulting  Correspondent  of  the  Bureau, 
who  was  charged  by  the  Board  with  the  duty  of  a personal  study  of  the 
deposit,  and  an  inquiry  into  its  commercial  relations. 

For  the  Board  of  Experts, 

R.  W.  RAYMOND,  J.  P.  KIMBALL, 


Secretary. 


Vice  -President. 


ON  THE  SALT  DEPOSIT  OF  PETIT  ANSE 
ISLAND,  LOUISIANA. 


Petit  Anse  Island  is  situated  in  Parish  St.  Mary,  in  Louisiana,  in 
Long.  91°  51/  West  of  Greenwich,  and  29°  52'  North  Latitude,  about 
four  miles  north  of  Vermilion  Bay,  and  nine  and  a half  miles,  by  the 
present  road,  south  of  New  Iberia.  The  distance  to  the  latter  point, 
however,  is  only  about  seven  miles  by  air  line. 

The  island  consists  of  2210-48  arpents  of  upland.  An  arpent — the 
old  French  measurement  employed  in  Louisiana — is  about  one-seventh  less 
than  an  acre. 

Fifteen  hundred  arpents  are  at  present  under  cultivation,  the  re- 
mainder being  woodland,  pasture,  roads,  &c. 

The  island  is  divided  between  two  owners,  Judge  D.  D.  Avery,  and 
Mr.  John  Hays,  the  property  of  the  former  including  1,380  arpents  of 
the  upland,  and  that  of  the  latter  comprising  the  remainder,  860  arpents. 

A luxuriant  growth  of  forest  trees,  consisting  of  magnolia,  live  oak, 
hickory,  gum-tree,  maple,  hackberry,  black  walnut,  and  cypress,  covers  a 
portion  of  the  island.  Of  these  varieties,  cypress  is  the  most  abundant, 
and  furnishes  the  principal  building  material. 

The  immediate  vicinity  of  the  island  is  occupied  by  extensive  sea 
marshes  and  cypress  swamps,  stretching  west  and  southwest  from  six  to 
to  twenty  miles.  To  the  north,  for  about  two  miles,  the  surface  is  covered 
with  tall  sea-grasses  and  scanty  brush  ; to  the  east  and  southeast,  for  many 
miles,  the  swamps  are  covered  with  heavy  cypress  forests. 

From  the  highest  point  of  the  island,  a hill  on  Hays’s  property,  180  feet 
above  the  tide-water  level,  the  eye  commands  a wide  prospect,  comprising, 
on  the  west,  the  Vermilion  Woods,  nearly  up  to  Vermilion ville,  Miller’s 
Island,  and  a broad  sheet  of  prairie,  with  dwelling  houses,  and  groves  of 
timber;  on  the  north,  the  forests  of  Bayou  Teche,  as  far  as  Jeaneretts, 
and  the  Au  Large  Prairie  ; on  the  east,  the  Cypremort  Woods ; and  on  the 
south,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


8 


The  only  land  communication  with  the  island  is  a plank  road,  crossing 
the  Bayou  Petit  Anse  and  the  marshes  to  the  north  for  nearly  two  miles, 
and  continuing  as  a prairie-road  to  New  Iberia.  The  plank  road  is  of 
recent  construction,  having  been  built  during  the  late  war  to  accommodate 
the  salt  transportation  of  Petit  Anse. 

The  nearly  circular  form  of  the  island,  and  a surface  configuration 
varied  by  hillock,  valley,  ravine,  pond,  pasture,  forest,  and  cultivated 
field,  give  it  a picturesque  appearance,  in  the  midst  of  swamp  and 
prairie. 

The  general  trend  of  the  hills  is  N.  N.  W.,  and  S.  S.  E.,  with  which  the 
valleys  mainly  correspond.  This  leading  configuration  has  been  somewhat 
modified  by  the  sudden  and  heavy  rains  of  the  Gulf  coast,  which  have  not 
only  lowered  the  height  of  the  hills,  and  filled  up  to  some  extent  the  val- 
leys, but  also  produced,  by  the  action  of  torrents,  new  channels  and  ravines, 
with  their  own  subordinate  topographical  features.  It  is  difficult,  in  par- 
ticular cases,  to  distinguish  the  older  from  the  more  recent  action.  Probably 
all  the  present  surface  features  have  been  affected  by  the  same  causes ; 
although  there  is  evidence  that  the  terrain  has  been  exposed  to  glacial 
action,  of  which  more  will  be  saip  hereafter. 

The  top  soil  is  an  umber-colored  sandy  loam,  generally  a foot  or  more 
in  depth,  and  underlaid  by  a subsoil  of  sand,  more  or  less  coarse,  fre- 
quently containing  lenticular  clay-masses  of  various  size. 

The  agricultural  products  of  Petit  Anse  are  mainly  cotton,  sugar 
cane  and  corn. 

The  fertility  of  the  soil  is  very  great.  It  is  claimed  that  it  produces 
two  to  three  hogsheads  of  sugar — 1,400  pounds  each— to  the  acre. 
Oranges,  sweet  potatoes,  and  garden  vegetables  of  every  variety,  may  be 
cultivated  with  great  success,  many  kinds  yielding  annually  three  crops. 

Springs  are  sparingly  distributed,  and  only  flow  during  the  rainy  seasons. 
Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  obtain  more  permanent  supplies  of 
water,  by  sinking  wells ; but,  as  might  have  been  expected,  with  very  limited 
success ; since  the  only  conditions  of  supply  depend  upon  surface  perco- 
lation, and  the  imperfect  reservoirs  afforded  by  occasional  masses  of  clay. 
These  sources  are,  at  the  best,  naturally  inadequate;  and  for  long  periods 
they  fail  entirely.  The  main  supply  of  fresh  water  is  therefore  derived 
from  cisterns,  and  natural  or  artificial  ponds,  in  which  the  rain  is  collected. 

The  temperature  of  the  island  is  at  no  time  of  the  year  oppressive. 
According  to  data  obtained  from  Judge  Avery,  the  maximum  heat  is  90°- 
95°  F. ; and  the  lowest  for  many  years  has  been  19°  F. ; the  average 


9 


being  about  65°-70°  F.,  taking  day  and  night  the  year  round.  March 
and  April,  the  latter  part  of  November,  and  the  first  part  of  December, 
are  the  more  rainy  seasons.  The  situation  of  the  island  near  the  Gulf 
coast  renders  the  rains  sudden  and  severe,  frequently  torrent-like. 

Other  meteorological  phenomena  of  a violent  or  unusual  character 
are,  comparatively  speaking,  unknown.  The  only  recent  instances  on 
record  are  the  partial  destruction  of  a crop  by  storm  in  1856,  and  a 
hurricane  which  visited  a neighboring  parish  in  1862. 


The  families  of  Messrs.  Avery  and  Hays  are  at  present  the  only 
residents  of  Petit  Anse.  Of  these,  the  oldest  inhabitant  is  John  Hays,  a 
Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  who  settled  on  the  island  in  1790,  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  and  has  lived  there  seventy-six  years.  He  relates  that  on  his 
arrival  he  found  the  island  covered  with  dense  forest,  and  not  only 
uninhabited,  but  totally  without  traces  of  human  habitation.  The 
Indians  then  living  in  the  vicinity  were  the  Attakapas.  He  invited  them 
repeatedly  to  join  him  in  hunting  the  bear,  panther,  wild-cat,  and  deer ; 
but  they  refused,  saying  that  the  spot  had  once  been  the  scene  of  a great 
calamity  to  their  race,  and  that  they  had  never  since  visited  it.  , 

From  the  numerous  relics  which  have  been  discovered  in  the  recently 
excavated  salt-pits,  it  is  evident  that  this  island  was  inhabited  before 
the  period  of  which  we  have  any  historical  record.  Jesse  McCaul, 
digging  for  salt  springs,  many  years  ago,  is  said  to  have  found,  two 
feet  below  the  surface,  an  Indian  earthen  spoon,  and  a buckhorn  ; also  a 
nearly  entire  skeleton  of  a supposed  mammoth  (portions  of  which  were 
afterwards  sent  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution).  Numerous  arrow-heads 
of  stone,  and  other  Indian  remains,  have  also  been  discovered  from  time 
to  time ; and  in  the  recent  excavations,  pottery  and  basket-work  have 
been  exposed  in  considerable  abundance.  The  baskets  are  bag-shaped, 
and  constructed  of  split  wild-cane,  quite  similar  in  style  and  material  to 
the  Indian  baskets  of  the  present  day.  Mr.  D.  M.  Avery  has  found  two 
pots,  fitted  into  each  other,  one  foot  in  diameter  at  the  top,  9|-  inches  at 
the  bottom,  and  8-9  inches  high.  The  immense  quantity  of  fragments 
of  pottery  already  found  on  the  island  leads  to  the  supposition  that  it 
was  manufactured  on  the  spot  by  a resident  population ; and,  indeed,  Mr. 
Avery  found  what  he  considered  a furnace,  originally  built  in  the  side  of 
a ravine.  The  part  remaining,  6 feet  long  and  6 feet  high,  indicated  an 
2 


10 


oval  shape.  The  front  wall  and  fireplace  had  been  undermined  and 
washed  away,  and  the  remainder  has  now  suffered  a similar  fate,  so  rapid 
are  the  changes  produced  by  pluvial  influences  in  this  region. 

Deductions  based  upon  the  juxtaposition  or  superposition  of  these  bones 
of  extinct  species  (supposing  them  to  be  clearly  established  as  such),  relics 
of  human  industry,  and  accumulations  of  vegetable  decay,  require  much 
caution,  since  the  locality  is,  and  has  evidently  always  been,  subject  to 
great  and  rapid  superficial  changes ; and  as  the  material  now  found  in 
the  valley  where  the  salt-pits  are  located  is  to  a considerable  depth  the 
same  which  formerly  covered  the  hillsides,  it  is  obvious  that  no  conclu- 
sions as  to  relative  age  can  be  drawn  from  mere  difference  of  level.  The 
layers  now  exposed  by  the  pits  may  be  the  washings  from  many  different 
strata,  and  contain  remains  of  widely  varying  antiquity. 


The  surface  formation  along  the  1ST.  O.,  Opelousas  & Great  Western 
Railroad,  from  Algiers  towards  Brashear  City,  belongs  to  the  Mississippi 
Delta,  consisting  of  clay  bottom  lands,  frequently  overgrown  with  cypress 
and  live-oak  forests. 

The  surface-soil,  an  intermixture  of  organic  matter  with  the 
original  deposit,  is  black  and  plastic,  and  from  six  inches  to  one 
foot  in  depth,  and  underlaid  by  a light-colored  clay,  which  is  char- 
acteristic for  the  whole  region.  The  surface  is  generally  below  the 
level  of  the  Mississippi,  and  protected  by  levees;  but  it  rises  gradually 
towards  Brashear  City,  where  the  banks  of  the  Atchafalaya  are 
some  fifteen  feet  high.  This  rise  continues  westward  along  the  Teche, 
and  an  interstratification  of  gravelly  soil  between  the  surface  and  the 
clay  bottom  makes  its  appearance.  Along  the  Bayou  Teche,  the  land 
is  sufficiently  elevated  to  be  secure  against  overflow,  and  is  occupied 
by  numerous  sugar  plantations.  This  district  is  known  as  the  “ Garden 
of  Louisiana.”  At  New  Iberia,  the  banks  of  the  bayou  attain  a height 
of  nearly  twenty  feet. 

The  characteristic  delta-clay  is  found  underlying  all  the  lands  sur- 
rounding Petit  Anse  Island.  Being  comparatively  impermeable  to 
water,  it  prevents  natural  drainage,  and  portions  of  the  prairies  between 
Petit  Anse  and  New  Iberia  are  often  overflowed  after  heavy  rains,  thus 
seriously  obstructing  communication.  This  evil  could  be  obviated  by 
artificial  drainage,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  has  ever  been  attempted. 


11 


The  peculiar  features  of  the  formation  of  Petit  Anse  Island  are  : 

1.  The  occurrence  of  superficial  strata  entirely  different  from  the  delta- 
clay,  preserved,  probably,  by  their  elevation,  from  the  general  denu- 
dation of  the  region. 

2.  The  occurrence  of  rock-salt  as  an  underlying  deposit. 

These  two  features  will  be  considered  in  their  order. 

Petit  Anse  Island  is  one  of  five  elevations  which  occur  in  a bT.W. 
— S.  E.  line,  amid  the  otherwise  level  delta  lands  of  this  district.  They 
are:  Dupuy  Island,  Petit  Anse,  Weeks  Island,  Cote  Blanche,  and  Belle 
Isle.  Upon  the  other  four,  no  explorations  have  been  made  to  ascertain 
their  geological  character.  It  may  be  that  they  are  also  patches  of  the 
same  formation  preserved  on  Petit  Anse. 

The  surface-soil  of  Petit  Anse,  as  has  been  observed,  is  dark  loam. 
Beneath  it  occur  layers  of  coarse  and  fine  sand,  gravel,  and  clay  in  lenticu- 
lar masses.  In  some  places  the  sand  is  cemented  by  peroxyd  of  iron,  and 
friable  pink  sandstone,  and  arenaceous  concretions  of  peroxyd  of  iron 
are  frequently  observable.  These  various  materials  are  irregularly 
stratified,  generally  in  curved  lines,  as  if  resulting  from  the  action  of 
currents  and  eddies.  They  do  not  conform  to  any  one  definite  direction  or 
order,  but  occur  in  different  succession,  and  sometimes  reversed.  In 
short,  they  display  all  the  phenomena  of  deposits  subjected  to  the  action 
of  currents,  sometimes  direct,  sometimes  obstructed.  A reversal  of  the 
order  of  deposition  is  observable  in  those  localities  where  more  recent 
denudation  and  re-deposition  might  be  naturally  presumed  to  have  taken 
place.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  what  is  the  original,  and  what  the 
modified  stratification. 

The  stratigraphical  changes  have  been  produced  by  currents,  exposure 
to  weather,  and  occurrences  of  tough  clay-masses,  a single  circumstance 
of  such  unimportant  character  being  sufficient  to  set  in  operation  a train 
of  ever  increasing  change.  The  heavy  rains  of  the  Gulf  coast  have  been 
of  course  the  principal  agents  in  these  later  processes.  The  sand  and 
pebbles  are  of  decided  silicious  character,  and  much  water-worn.  The 
drift  contains  no  carbonates  and  no  protoxyd  of  iron,  but  worn  fragments 
of  erratic  rocks,  silicified  wood,  and  even  boulders  of  60-70  lbs.  weight 
occur  in  it.  One  boulder  of  porphyritic  diorite  was  observed  by  Dr. 
Goessmann,  which  had  been  taken  from  one  of  the  pits  on  the  island.  It 
weighed  some  70  lbs.  This  is  probably  the  most  southerly  boulder  yet 
discovered  in  the  Mississippi  Yalley.  Prof.  Hilgard  has  discovered  but 
one  other  locality  south  of  Yicksburg. 


12 


All  these  phenomena  of  constitution  and  configuration  correspond 
most  closely  with  the  description  given  by  Prof.  Hilgard  in  his  Report  on 
the  Geology  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  and  in  later  papers,  of  the  forma- 
tion to  which  Prof.  Safford,  of  Tennessee,  first  gave  the  name  of  the  Orange 
Sand.  The  recognition  of  the  Orange  Sand  upon  Petit  Anse  is  confirmed 
by  Professor  Hilgard  after  an  examination  of  the  specimens  collected  by 
Dr.  Goessmann  upon  the  island. 

The  actual  exploration  of  these  strata  has  been  confined  to  a limited 
area,  within  one  valley  and  its  branches,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
island,  where  the  salt-pits  are  located.  In  opening  these  pits,  according 
to  the  account  of  the  workmen,  the  material  passed  through  was  the  same 
as  that  exposed  on  the  hillsides,  namely,  gravel  and  clay,  containing 
remains  of  vegetation  similar  to  that  of  the  neighboring  marshes  ; i.  <?., 
sedge  and  marsh  grass — in  tolerable  preservation.  The  salt  was  found 
immediately  covered  by  a dark  fetid  clay,  2 to  2-§-  feet  thick,  full  of  marsh 
grass  and  gravel,  and  containing  also  the  bones  of  extinct  animals. 

For  purposes  of  more  accurate  observation,  a pit  5 by  3j-  feet  in  size 
was  dug,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Goessmann,  30  feet  from  the  present 
shaft  house  (see  map). 

This  exposed  the  following  section 


Ft.  hi. 


Surface-soil  (black).  . . . . . . . . .12 

Lighter  colored  sandy  soil.  .......20 

Dark  sandy  soil  (containing  pottery,  vegetable  remains,  ashes,  char- 
coal, and  burnt  clam-shells),  . .....  .10 

Coarse  sand  and  gravel.  ........  0 6 

Sand,  with  clay  (dark  ; full  of  vegetable  remains  and  pottery).  0 6 

Reddish  sand  (here  and  there  cemented  with  hydrated  peroxyd  of 

iron),  gravel  and  pottery.  . . . . . . ..50 


Sand  (containing  nodules  of  clay,  and  well  preserved  parts  of) 
common  wild  cane-roots  and  stems). 

Sand  (changing  to  greenish  blue  from  reduction  of  the  peroxyd  j 
of  iron)  and  water  from  the  N.  W.  corner  of  pit. 

[At  this  point  (11  feet)  it  was  necessary  to  timber  the  pit,  to  keep 
out  quicksand  from  the  layer  above  described.  This  is  the 
most  troublesome  stratum  to  pass  through  which  occurs  on  the 
ground.] 


11  8 


13 


Ft.  In. 

Brought  forward  . . . . . . . 11  8 

Blue  clay  with  abundant  vegetable  remains,  pottery,  and  burnt 

clam-shells.  ..........20 

Coarse  gravel  without  clay.  . 16 

Clay,  gravel  and  sand  (greenish  yellow,  very  hard  and  tough,  con- 
taining wild  cane).  ........10 

Clay  (greenish  yellow  with  gravel,  and  interspersed  with  drift 

sand) 3 0 


Salt 19  2 


Immediately  overlying  the  salt,  the  clay  for  one  or  two  inches  has  a 
black  color,  as  if  bituminous.  This  is  probably  caused  by  infiltration  of 
surface  waters  through  the  humus  above. 

The  water,  tested  at  a depth  of  14  feet,  was  strongly  saline,  showing 
at  56°  F.,  40°  salometer,  representing  10  to  11  per  cent,  of  saline  matter. 
Analysis  of  these  solid  constituents  shows  this  to  be  a solution  of  the 
underlying  salt. 

Dr.  Mallett,  who  had  very  favorable  opportunities  to  see  some  of  the 
larger  pits  open  and  to  observe  a greater  area  of  the  salt,  states  that  the 
deposit  bears  decided  marks  of  erosion  by  the  action  of  water,  that 
its  surface  is  undulating,  and  that  the  mass  itself  is  dry,  and  receives 
moisture  only  by  percolation  through  the  soil — a statement  which  is  con- 
firmed by  Judge  Avery  and  Col.  H.  S.  Greenleaf.  The  saline  character 
of  the  water  in  the  pit  dug  by  Dr.  Goessmann  seems  to  confirm  those 
observations,  since  neighboring  pits  were  full  of  water,  which  had 
absorbed  salt  from  below  ; and,  as  they  are  higher  in  situation  than  the  pit 
referred  to,  the  brine  naturally  finds  its  way  into  the  new  excavation. 
Dr.  Goessmann  observed  that  the  water  came  into  this  pit  at  the  rate  of 
about  4 feet  in  24  hours. 

Further  evidence  as  to  the  configuration  and  extent  of  the  salt  deposit 
is  afforded  by  the  tables  given  in  the  Appendix,  and  by  the  maps  and 
diagrams  herewith  transmitted,  viz. : — 

A map  of  the  island — correct  as  to  outlines. 

Topographical  map,  with  borings. 

Tabular  statement  of  borings. 

Profile  of  surface. 

These  are  all  the  work  of  Mr.  Herwegh,  a Swiss  engineer,  and  are 
considered  trustworthy,  with  the  exception  of  the  internal  features  noted 


14 


on  the  first  map,  which  have  somewhat  changed  since  that  map  was 
executed.  From  these  data,  it  appears  that  the  salt  has  been  struck  only 
at  one  point  above  high-tide  level,  viz. : the  point  marked  U on  the  map, 
where  salt  was  obtained  33-9  feet  below  the  surface,  and  D73  feet  above 
high  tide.  The  other  extreme  is  presented  in  boring  B,  where  the  salt 
was  struck  at  a depth  of  40  feet  from  the  surface,  31  *78  feet  below  high 
tide.  This  indicates  from  N.  to  S.  a difference  in  level,  on  a distance  of 
1,900  feet,  of  33‘51  feet.  In  like  manner,  between  stations  A and  T,  a 
distance  of  2,030  feet,  there  is  a rise  from  W.  to  E.  of  17'29  feet.  Without 
discussing  at  length  the  observations  recorded  in  these  maps  and  tables, 
it  may  be  remarked  that  the  borings  have  been  confined  mainly  to  the  val- 
ley, which  apparently  has  been  the  channel  of  the  greatest  erosive  action. 

It  is  a coincidence  worthy  of  note,  that  the  highest  level  of  the  salt  is 
found  towards  the  maximum  accumulation  of  the  Orange  Sand.  Evi- 
dently the  configuration  of  the  upper  surface  can,  under  these  circum- 
stances, afford  no  data  concerning  the  depth  of  the  salt. 

The  deepest  pit  has  been  sunk  in  the  salt  for  38  feet,  without  showing 
any  change  in  its  structure  or  purity — an  indication  of  a greater  thick- 
ness. Unfortunately,  the  instruments  used  in  the  borings  were  too  imper- 
fect to  be  entirely  relied  upon,  and  totally  inadequate  to  the  work  of 
deep  explorations,  whether  as  to  the  thickness  of  the  deposit  itself,  or  as 
to  the  position  of  its  upper  surface  in  the  hills.  Its  superficial  extent  is, 
for  the  same  reason,  still  undetermined.  It  is  proved  to  exist  under  a con- 
tinuous area  of  at  least  144  acres  ; but  its  thickness  is  an  economical 
condition  of  much  greater  consequence  than  the  area,  since  a greater 
thickness  will  facilitate  mining  operations.  On  the  basis  of  the  area  and 
thickness  already  ascertained,  and  making  due  allowance  for  roofing  and 
flooring  in  the  mines,  we  may  conclude  that  there  are  some  7-8  million 
tons  of  workable  material  already  proved  to  exist.  How  much  more  it  is 
impossible  to  say.  No  salt  has  been  discovered  on  the  Hays  portion  of 
the  island. 

The  quantity  of  salt  available  for  mining  is  estimated  as  follows: 

144  acres  contain 6,272,640  square  feet. 

Assuming  the  average  depth  of  the  salt  to  be  40  feet,  and 
allowing  9 feet  for  roof  and  6 feet  for  floor,  we  have  26 

feet  as  available  thickness,  or  a mass  of  ...  166,816,000  cubic  feet. 

Deducting  30  per  cent,  for  pillars  and  waste  . . . 47,044,800  “ “ 

There  remains  available  salt 109,771,200  “ “ 

The  salt  has  a specific  gravity  of  about  2 2,  or  nearly  16  cubic  feet  to  the  ton. 

109,771,200  cubic  feet,  reduced  to  tons,  gives,  therefore,  7,318,080  tons. 

It  is  sufficiently  evident  that  this  estimate  may  safely  be  regarded  as  a minimum, 


15 


since  it  may  be  indefinitely  increased  by  future  discoveries  of  an  extension  of  the  salt 
deposit,  either  in  area,  or  thickness,  or  both.  Even  supposing  that  the  salt  is  but  40 
feet  thick,  as  above  assumed,  if  a safe  and  solid  fioor  were  found  to  underlie  it,  so  as 
to  render  a floor  of  salt  in  the  works  unnecessary,  the  amount  of  available  material 
would  be  increased  nearly  25  per  cent.,  since  the  six  feet  of  salt  left  as  a floor  could 
then  be  extracted. 

The  geological  age  of  this  deposit  .cannot  he  positively  determined 
until  the  strata  underlying  the  salt  shall  have  been  exposed. 

In  lack  of  a systematic  survey  of  Louisiana,  the  geological  relations 
of  this  locality  have  not  been  satisfactorily  traced.  General  as  well  as 
special  analogy  points,  however,  to  its  Tertiary  age.1 * 

Concerning  the  nature  of  the  deposit,  however,  many  circumstances 
favor  the  theory  that  it  is  a secondary  one — resulting  from  the  evapo- 
rations of  brine-springs,  originating  from  beds  of  rock-salt  in  some  older 
geological  formation — and  not  a direct  residuum  from  any  sea.  This  ex- 
plains the  entire  absence  of  intercalations  of  gypsum,  and  the  extremely 
small  proportion  throughout  the  mass,  of  the  other  salts  which  are  found 
in  the  present  ocean,  and  proved,  by  geological  evidence,  to  have  always 
existed  in  sea  water.  These  foreign  substances,  and  especially  gypsum, 
or  the  sulphate  of  lime,  crystallizing  by  evaporation  according  to  their 
relative  solubility,  are  found  interstratified  and  segregated  in  salt-beds  of 
known  marine  origin,  in  such  a manner  as  to  indicate,  in  the  usual  forma- 
tion of  rock-salt,  successive  overflows  and  evaporations.3 


1 Rock-salt  occurs  in  all  sedimentary  rocks,  from  the  ancient  palaeozoic  to  the  tertiary  forma- 
tion.— Bischof  Chem.  Geol.,  vol.  i.,  p.  350. 

Although  a large  number  of  the  principal  sait  deposits  of  Europe  occur  in  Mesozoic  rocks, 
especially  in  the  Trias  (as  that  of  Cheshire  in  England,  of  Schonebeck  and  Stassfurth  in  Ger- 
many, of  Hallein  and  Ischel  in  Austria,  of  Lothringen  in  France,  and  of  Box  in  Switzerland),  from 
which  circumstance  it  is  sometimes  called  the  Saliferous  System,  the  famous  deposits  of  Cardona 
and  Peralta  in  Catalonia,  and  of  Wieliczka  in  Poland,  are  of  Tertiary  age.  Other  well-known  Ter- 
tiary salt  deposits  occur  in  Tuscany,  Sicily,  and  Armenia. 

" In  salt  deposits  directly  from  the  sea,  beds  of  rock-salt  are  found  alternating  with  gypsum. 
This  circumstance  is  explained  by  the  fact,  that,  when  sea-water  is  concentrated  by  evaporation, 
its  saturation  point  as  regards  sulphate  of  lime  being  sooner  reached  than  as  regards  chloride  of 
sodium,  the  deposition  of  the  gypsum  must  begin  much  earlier  than  that  of  the  salt.  Hence  the 
floor  of  every  such  deposit  is,  as  must  be  expected,  gypsum ; and  every  layer  of  this  deposit  is 
the  precursor  of  a deposit  of  salt  from  a fresh  supply  of  sea-water,  since  the  deposition  of  gyp- 
sum cannot  happen  twice  in  the  same  sea- water  after  being  once  succeeded  by  the  deposition  of 
salt.  When,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  gypsum  forms  the  last  deposit  in  a rock-salt  formation, 
the  sea-water  from  which  these  were  separated  may  have  flowed  away  before  the  deposition  of 
chloride  of  sodium  began ; or,  under  the  action  of  erosive  influence,  the  salt  next  in  order  may 
have  been  subsequently  removed. 

At  Buffleben,  in  Thuringia,  and  at  Stotternheim,  it  is -only  after  passing  through  gypsum 
layers  1574  to  149  feet  in  thickness  that  rock-salt  is  reached.  At  Stebnick,  in  Gallicia,  the  bore 
passed  through  loam  containing  gypsum,  then  through  loam  containing  a few  grains  of  salt, 
through  a salt  layer  two  feet  in  thickness,  through  clay  with  gypsum,  and  at  length  arrived  at 
pure  fock-salt  In  this  way  seven  different  salt  layers  of  greater  or  less  thickness  and  purity, 
alternating  with  saliferous  clay  and  sandstone,  had  been  passed  through.  Also  the  saliferous 
formations  of  Wieliczka  consist  of  layers  and  large  masses  of  salt,  which  are  separated  by  clay, 
marl,  and  anhydrite.  At  Artern,  rock-salt  was  first  penetrated  after  passing  through  thick 


16 


The  entire  absence,  up  to  this  time,  of  all  appearance  of  successive 
deposition  in  the  salt  of  Petit  Ause,  indicates  that  it  is  an  accumulation 
from  re-solutions,  not  from  an  original  marine  brine.  Salt  lakes  and 
pools  fed  by  springs,  and  forming  accumulations  of  this  character,  are  now 
active  in  various  parts  of  the  world — in  Northern  Asia,  Hungary,  Siberia, 
Ceylon,  Algiers,  and  Brazil,  and  on  a more  extended  scale  in  the  Dead 
Sea,  Elton  Lake,  and  Great  Salt  Lake,  though  in  the  latter  the  deposition 
of  salt  has  not  yet  taken  place. 

If,  in  the  deposit  of  Petit  Anse,  there  ever  were  soluble  impurities, 
such  as  chloride  of  potassium,  calcium,  and  magnesium,  to  any  considerable 
extent,  they  were  in  the  uppermost  portions,  which  have,  undoubtedly, 
been  carried  away  by  erosion.  There  is  abundant  proof  that  this  salt 
deposit  was  formerly  exposed  on  the  surface,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
salt  deposit  of  Wieliczka,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  fresh  water  in  the 
pits  attacks  and  dissolves  it,  indicates  the  extent  to  which  ■ erosion  may 
have  been  carried.  A stop  was  put  to  this  action  by  the  accumula- 
tion of  diluvium,  which,  being  highly  argillaceous,  protected  the  salt 
from  further  destruction. 

The  Salt  occurs  as  a solid  crystalline  rock,  of  a saccliaroidal  texture, 
the  individual  crystals  being  indistinctly  aggregated,  and  interspersed  with 
microscopic  crystals  of  gypsum.  It  is  dry,  hard,  and,  so  far  as  it  has 
been  explored,  homogeneous.  Its  taste  is  purely  saline,  and  its  com- 
position may  be  considered  fairly  represented  by  the  following  analyses, 
the  first  of  which  was  made  by  the  late  Dr.  Riddell,  Professor  of  Chem- 
istry in  the  University  of  Louisiana,  and  the  second  by  Dr.  C.  A.  Goess- 
mann.  According  to  these  analyses,  the  dry  salt  contaius,  in  100  parts  : 


layers  of  gypsum.  These  were  bored  to  a depth  of  87  J feet  without  reaching  the  floor  of  rock- 
salt.  In  the  bore  at  Schoningen,  at  a depth  of  1,710  feet,  pure  rock-salt,  aud  at  1,721,  anhydrite 
and  gypsum  were  passed  through ; at  the  depth  of  1,819  feet,  rock-salt,  with  a little  gypsum 
and  anhydrite,  again  appeared.  In  the  bore  at  Stassfurth  the  first  traces  of  rock-salt  appeared 
in  anhydrite  at  a depth  of  792  feet.  Since  that  time  1,000  feet  of  rock-salt  have  been  bored 
without  reaching  its  floor. — Bischof  Chem.  Geol.,  vol.  i.,  p.  383. 

The  rock-salt  of  Northwich  and  Middlewich  in  Cheshire  lies  in  two  beds  principally.  The 
depth  to  the  first  bed  at  Northwich  varies  with  the  undulations  of  the  laud,  and  also  slightly 
with  the  irregularity  of  the  bed  itself,  from  96-159  feet.  At  Winsford  the  depth  is  189  feet. 
The  thickness  of  the  upper  bed  varies  at  Northwich  from  84-90  feet.  Below  this,  and  separated 
from  it  by  a bed  of  indurated  clay,  30  feet  in  thickness,  containing  thin  beds  of  salt,  occurs  the 
second  or  great  bed,  96  feet  thick  at  Marston,  and  225  feet  thick  at  Winsford.  At  Northwich 
the  first  00-75  of  rock  are  impure,  the  salt  being  contaminated  with  much  clay  and  bituminous 
matter.  In  the  next  12  or  15  feet  the  salt  is  much  clearer;  and  this  portion  only  is  worked. 
The  clear  portion  corresponding  to  this  is  worked  at  Winsford  at  a depth  of  210  feet  in  the  rock. 
— Muspratt's  Chem  as  Applied  to  the  Arts,  vol.  ii.,  p 898. 


17 


I. 

11. 

Chloride  of  Sodium  . 

98-88 

98-8823 

Sulphate  of  Lime 

0-76 

0-7825 

Chloride  of  Magnesium 

0-23 

0-0030 

Chloride  of  Calcium 

0-13 

0-0036 

Moisture  . 

0-3286 

100-00 

100-0000 

An  analysis  by  Dr.  Goessmann,  of  the  rock  salt  of  St.  Domingo 
(Neyba),  is  subjoined  for  purposes  of  comparison.  This  salt  contains  in 


100  parts : 

Chloride  of  Sodium 98’33 

Sulphate  of  Lime 1’48 

Sulphate  of  Magnesia  ....  0’06 

Chloride  of  Magnesium  ....  0-04 

Insoluble  (Clay) 0-01 

Moisture  ......  0-07 


99-99 


By  this  and  further  comparison,1  the  salt  of  Petit  Anse  is  distinguished 
for  remarkable  purity.  Its  superiority  has,  indeed,  been  already  recog- 
nized in  the  Southern  market. 


So  far  as  knowu,  the  discovery  of  the  salt  was  made,  in  1791,  by  John 
Hays,  who  found  a spring  while  hunting.  Soon  afterwards,  Jesse  McCaul 
bought  nineteen  acres  of  land  including  this  salt  spring,  and  began  the 
manufacture  of  salt  by  boiling.  The  supply  was  too  limited,  however, 
to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  operation ; and,  after  digging  several  wells 
with  little  success,  he  abandoned  the  enterprise.  The  springs  were  then 
neglected  until  1812,  when  the  price  of  salt  rose  to  such  a height,  in 
consequence  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  that  John  C.  Marsh  renewed 
the  production,  continuing  till  1815,  when  the  price  fell  again,  and 
he  suspended  his  operations.  Judge  D.  D.  Avery,  who  subsequently 


1 For  further  comparisons  of  salts  from  different  localities,  and  of  the  several  commercial 
brands,  see  the  excellent  tables  of  Dr.  Campbell  Morfit,  in  Muspratt's  Chemistry  as  Applied  to  the 
Arts,  vol.  ii.,  p.  905;  also  New  American  Cyclopcedia,  XIV.,  p.  297. 

3 


18 


became  owner  ol  the  island,  commenced  boiling  again  during  the  year 
1861,  when  salt  had  become  dear  by  reason  of  the  blockade.  For  the 
purpose  of  increasing  the  supply  of  brine,  Mr.  John  Marsh  Avery,  his 
son,  attempted  to  deepen  the  wells,  and,  at  the  depth  of  16  to  17  feet, 
on  the  4th  of  May,  1862,  struck  the  solid  rock-salt.  Mining  by  means 
of  pits  was  soon  introduced  under  the  auspices  of  the  Confederate 
government.  The  order  in  which  the  pits  were  opened,  and  other  par- 
ticulars concerning  this  period  of  activity,  are  given  in  a statement  in 
the  Appendix.  Mining  continued  until  an  expedition,  sent  by  General 
Banks,  by  way  of  New  Iberia,  attacked  the  island,  April  17,  1863,  and 
destroyed  the  works  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month.1 


The  amount  of  salt  removed  during  these  eleven  months,  according  to 
Judge  Avery’s  statement,  was  twenty-two  millions  of  pounds.  From  four 
to  six  hundred  men  are  said  to  have  been  working,  day  and  night,  in  mining, 
barreling,  and  loading  the  salt  in  wagons.  From  one  to  five  hundred 
teams  are  reported  to  have  been  at  one  time  on  the  island,  coming  from 
every  Southern  State,  and  waiting  for  a supply.  The  various  pits  were 
worked  by  the  owners,  the  government,  and  contractors.  The  average 
price  of  the.salt  was  4^  cents  a pound. 

The  large  pits  remaining  as  the  results  of  this  extraordinary  activity 
are  not  only  useless  for  any  rational  system  of  mining,  but,  by  admitting 
quicksand  and  water,  may  become  sources  of  great  inconvenience,  unless 
carefully  filled  up,  or  converted  into  shafts. 


It  is  certain  that  the  mode  of  mining  in  pits,  as  hitherto  carried 
on,  would  be  wholly  impracticable  for  any  length  of  time ; since  to 
continue  a large  production  in  this  manner  would  require  a constant 
increase  in  the  number  and  size  of  the  excavations,  and  expose  the  salt  to 
contamination  from  sand,  and  to  the  action  of  rains,  which  could  not  fail 
eventually  to  destroy  the  mines,  and  reduce  operations  to  the  old  basis  of 
boiling.  A consideration  of  still  more  immediate  and  vital  importance  is 
furnished  by  the  peculiar  shifting  nature  of  the  overlying  strata,  which 
cannot  be  disturbed  extensively  without  incurring  the  danger  of  slides  of  a 
disastrous  nature. 


1 A previous  attempt  in  November.  1862,  made  b.v  way  of  Vermilion  Bay,  in  gunboats 
had  proved  unsuccessful. 


19 


For  commercial  reasons,  also,  the  salt  should  be  mined  dry,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  expense  of  subsequent  drying.  Indeed,  there  remains  but  one 
method  of  permanent  mining ; namely,  that  by  well-constructed  shafts, 
and  protected  galleries  in  the  salt  itself.  The  extraction  of  salt  will  be 
carried  on  by  workings  upon  the  plan  of  so-called  compartments  or  squares, 
supported  by  walls  and  pillars,  as  in  the  mines  of  Wieliczka  in  Poland, 
and  of  Yic  and  Dieuze  in  the  east  of  France.  On  no  account  should  the 
earth-strata  immediately  overlying  the  deposit,  or  on  either  side  of  it,  be 
disturbed,  except  by  the  necessary  shafts.  Some  of  the  present  pits  may 
be  turned  to  advantage  as  shafts,  or  at  least  rendered  harmless  by  such 
an  alteration. 

The  proper  course  is,  tirst  of  all  to  bore  to  the  bottom  of  the  salt  (or,  if  unexpect- 
edly thick,  as  far  as  practicable),  for  the  purpose  of  disclosing  not  only  its  thickness, 
but  also  its  stratigraphical  conditions.  Should  the  mass  prove  free  from  layers  of  clay 
or  gypsum,  the  question  of  the  position  and  kind  of  workings'  will  depend  principally 
upon  considerations  of  permanent  economy  and  mine-construction.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  such  layers  be  encountered,  their  position  will  determine  the  level  of  galleries 
and  mode  of  operations.  The  conformity  of  the  rock-salt  of  Petit  Anse  to  the  general 
rule,  of  the  occurrence  of  gypsum  as  a floor  to  such  massive  deposits,  may  be  expected. 
Should  the  bottom  of  the  salt  be  struck  within  a depth  of  200,  or  even  300  feet  from 
the  surface,  a main  shaft  should  be  sunk  as  deep  as  practicable  without  penetrating  the 
gypsum  base  so  as  to  let  in  water,  and  galleries  laid  out  at  a low  level.  Should  the 
thickness  of  the  rock-salt  much  exceed  this  limit,  workings  deeper  than  200  to  300  feet 
would  be  long  deferred.  This  depth  of  shaft  would  give  two  or  three  tiers  of  workings, 
and  the  protection  of  an  ample  roof  to  the  uppermost,  and  powerful  barriers  between 
those  on  different  levels. 

The  common  practice  of  reversing  the  proper  order,  and  working  the  upper  levels 
first,  should  be  avoided.  Indeed,  the  low  cost  of  sinking  in  the  rock-salt  of  Petit 
Anse,  and  the  speed  with  which  it  can  be  carried  on,  remove  the  inducement  which 
exists  in  the  case  of  deep  mining  in  hard  rock,  to  gain  time  and  save  expense  by 
subverting  the  true  economy  of  the  mine. 

It  is  believed  that  by  a suitable  location  of  shafts,  one  main  or  engine-shaft  may  be 
made  to  suffice  for  drainage  and  hoisting  for  many  years  to  come.  Accessory  shafts 
for  ventilation  and  provisional  hoisting  (bucket-ways  and  man-shafts)  may  be  sunk  as 
convenience  requires,  with  reference  to  an  ultimate  plan. 

The  present  shaft  of  the  Company  may  be  cribbed,  and  sunk  deeper,  and  made, 
perhaps,  to  serve  as  a main,  or  as  an  auxiliary,  shaft,  according  to  the  plan  adopted. 

A thorough  system  of  surface  drainage  should  be  one  of  the  first  under- 
takings, in  order  that  the  washings  of  the  hills  may  not  sink  into  the  earth, 
or  accumulate  as  they  now  do  in  temporary  ponds  near  the  mines. 

There  are  no  serious  engineering  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in  under- 
taking such  a system  of  mining ; and  the  deeper  the  salt  deposit  extends, 
the  easier  it  will  be  to  open  within  it  capacious  and  perfectly  safe  work- 
ings. The  salt  itself,  so  long  as  it  is  protected  from  the  free  action  of 
water,  is  a strong  and  solid  rock,  which  will  offer  no  obstacles  to  steady 
mining. 

Powder  should  not  be  used  in  the  mines,  since  it  blackeus  and  peue- 


20 


trates  the  salt.  Blasting  should  be  but  rarely  resorted  to,  and,  when  neces- 
sary, some  other  compound,  such  as  gun-cotton,  or  mtro-glycerine,  should 
he  substituted. 

The  machines  used  for  under-cutting  in  European  coal  mines  might  be 
introduced  to  advantage,  provided  the  salt  retains  its  homogeneous  char- 
acter. 

Pumps  will  be  necessary  in  sinking  shafts  and  in  working  the  mines; 
but  the  chief  object  of  the  engineer  should  be  not  merely  to  pump  water 
out  of  these  workings,  but,  as  far  as  possible,  to  prevent  its  entrance ; since 
any  influx  will  prove,  not  a constant,  but  agrowing  evil. 

The  salt  may  he  ground  and  packed  for  market  either  at  the  mines, 
or  at  New  Orleans,  or  eventually  at  New  Iberia.  It  is  well,  however,  to 
consider  the  advantage  of  keeping  under  one  management  the  work  both 
of  raising  the  salt  and  its  preparation  for  market,  by  locating  a mill  at  the 
mines,  and  shipping  ground-salt  in  sacks  or  barrels  from  the  island. 
The  comparative  rates  of  labor  probably  favor  this  plan,  and  any  extra 
power  at  the  mines  may  be  used  for  this  purpose.  By  thus  delivering 
marketable  salt  from  the  mines,  repeated  handling  will  be  avoided,  while 
the  requisite  bags  or  staves  can  be  supplied  by  vessels  returning  from 
New  Orleans.1 

There  are  live  miners’  dwellings  near  the  old  pits,  forming  what  is  called  Miners’ 
Village.  These  will  afford  accommodation  for  five  miners’  families,  and  a number  of 
boarders.  They  are  planked  and  battened  frame  houses.  Other  dwellings  will  be 
required,  so  as  to  give  to  families  separate  tenements.  The  substantial  shed  over  the 
Company’s  shaft  can  be  altered  into  a regular  shaft  house.  There  is  already  a stable, 
at  a convenient  distance  from  the  present  works,  capable  of  accommodating  eight 
animals. 

In  addition  to  the  improvements  already  made,  the  following  expenditures  will  be 
required  to  inaugurate  fully  the  plan  indicated: — 


1.  On  the  Mines  proper — 

Work  on  the  present  shaft  ........  $3,000 

Two  additional  shafts  (estimated  at  200  feet)  ....  7,000 

Gangways  (2,000  feet),  and  tools  for  mining 5,000 

Gangway  tracks  (2,000  feet,  16  lbs.  T-rail)  ....  1,600 

25-horse  steam-engine,  boilers,  &c.,  with  setting  of  same  . . 10,000 

Pump  and  gear  for  engine  shaft 2,500 

Horse-whims,  &c.,  for  two  sub-shafts 1,500 

Cars  for  gangways 3,000 

Dump,  with  screen,  &c. 2,500 

Covered  shute  at  landing  ........  3,000 


$39,100—  $39,100 


1 At  Stassfurth,  the  mills  in  use  for  grinding  rock-salt  are  constructed  like  the  common  coffee- 
mill.  Twelve  of  these  grind,  together,  300  centners  (1,684  tons)  per  hour,  or  2,835  pounds  each. 
The  ground  salt  from  these  mills  then  passes  over  horizontal  mill-stones,  by  which  it  is  convert- 
ed to  fine  powder.  This  combined  operation  is  performed  at  a cost  of  six  pfennings  (If  cents) 
per  centner  (113.42G  lbs.) 


21 


2.  On  Mink  transportation  and  surface  improvements — 

Railroad  and  track  to  new  landing  (-J  m.) 7,500 

Cars  for  do. 6,000 

Mules 2,500 

New  landing  opposite  month  of  Saline  Bayou  ....  5,000 

Superintendent’s  house 3,000 

Office,  $500;  store,  $2,000;  blacksmith’s  shop,  $800.  . . 3,300 

20  miners’  houses,  @ $500 ; additional  stables,  $500  . . . 10,500 


$37,800—  37,800 

3.  ON  GENERA!,  IMPROVEMENTS — 

Road  to  New  Iberia,  and  road  on  island $10,000 

Draining  and  filling  up  old  shafts 2,000 

General  contingencies  of  all  kinds 30,000 

$42,000—  42,000 

4.  ON  TRANSPORTATION  TO  New  ORLEANS — 

Dredging  channel,  tug-boat,  &c.  (estimate  not  possible : it  is 
presumed  that  this  work,  with  the  cost  of  warehouses,  ma- 
chinery for  handling  and  crushing  the  salt,  wherever  located, 
will  require  a provision  of,  say) $50,000—  50,000 

5.  Outlays  in  the  nature  of  advances — 

For  stocking  the  store $2,500 

For  carrying  on  the  general  business,  shipping  salt,  &c.,  until  re- 
turns are  made,  a reserve  of,  at  least 50,000 


$52,500—  52,500 

Grand  total $221,400 

An  eventual  expenditure  of  $250,000  from  the  working  capital  should,  therefore,  be 
provided  for,  though  it  is  evident  that  this  sum  need  not  be  immediately  laid  out. 
Possibly  some  returns  from  sales  may  be  obtained  before  the  whole  has  been  expended. 
At  all  events,  there  would  be  a considerable  amount  of  salt  on  hand  to  the  credit  of 
the  Company. 


22 


It  remains  to  consider  how  the  salt  should  be  transported  to  commercial 
centres. 


There  are  several  routes  by  which  the  salt  of  Petit  Anse  may  in  future 
be  carried  to  market.  They  are  not  all  practicable  at  present,  nor  are 
those  the  most  available  now  which  will  probably  be  the  most  advan- 
tageous hereafter.  Several  of  these  routes  will  be  briefly  described  and 
discussed. 


1.  Navigation  by  way  of  the  Bayou  Petit  Anse,  Vermilion  Bay , 
Southwest  Pass,  and  thence  direct  to  New  Orleans,  Galveston , and  other 
ports.  This  route  can  be  made  available  at  less  expense  than  any  other, 
since  it  requires  only  one-half  or  three-fourths  of  a mile  dredging  in  the 
bayou.  If  barges  are  used  on  the  bayou,  it  will  be  necessary  to  establish 
a depot  at  Southwest  Pass,  and  reload  the  salt  in  sea-going  vessels. 
The  best  course,  if  practicable,  would  be  to  employ  small  schooners,  which 
could  navigate  both  the  bayou  and  the  sea,  and  thus  avoid  the  necessity 
of  reloading. 

If  it  is  desired  to  bring  salt  to  market  and  realize  its  value,  during  the 
first  year  of  operations,  probably  the  best  course  for  the  Company  would 
be  to  dredge  the  Petit  Anse  Bayou  at  its  own  expense,  furnish  a tug-boat, 
and  then  contract  for  carrying  with  individual  captains  of  schooners. 
There  is  sufficient  competition  in  the  coasting  trade  to  facilitate  such  an 
arrangement.  It  should  not  cost  more  than  $3.00  a ton  to  carry  salt,  in 
this  way,  from  Petit  Anse  to  New  Orleans  or  Galveston  ; and  this  without 
reference  to  the  daily'produetion  of  the  mines. 


2.  Railroad  transportation  to  New  Iberia,  and  navigation  by  the 
Bayou  Teche  to  Brashear  City  on  Berwick's  Bay,  and  from  there  either 
by  way  of  Berwick's  Bay  to  New  Orleans,  or  by  the  Atchafalaya  and 
connecting  bayous  to  the  mouth  of  Red  River. 

Transportation  by  this  railroad  from  Brashear  City  to  New  Orleans 
is  at  present  out  of  the  question,  as  its  use  would  require  a re-handling 


of  the  salt  at  Brashear  City ; and  would  also  subject  it  to  the  excessive 
tariff’  of  freights  charged  by  the  railroad  company. 

An  important  advantage  presented  by  the  New  Iberia  route  would  be 
its  opening  to  the  mines  a traffic  with  that  town,  a point  of  future 
commercial  importance,  and  convenient  as  a centre  of  supplies,  and  as  a 
basis  for  the  mercantile  operations  of  the  Company.1  This  town  is  situated 
on  the  line  of  the  projected  extension  of  the  Opelousas  Railroad,  and 
will  therefore  be  a station  on  the  great  Texas  route.  The  Houston 
Railroad  is  already  constructed  to  the  Louisiana  line,  and  will  be  con- 
tinued to  New  Iberia,  to  form  a junction  with  the  New  Orleans,  Opelousas 
and  G.  W.  road.  New  Iberia  may  then,  without  difficulty,  become  a centre 
for  the  packing  business,  consuming  the  cattle  of  Texas  and  the  salt  of 
Petit  Anse.  Meanwhile,  the  Salt  Company  would  find  advantage  in  the 
facility  of  procuring  workmen  and  materials ; and,  the  railroad  being 
once  constructed  from  the  island  to  New  Iberia,  salt  could  be  transported 
to  New  Orleans  by  water  more  cheaply  than  in  any  other  way,  until  the 
whole  line  of  railway  communication  be  complete,  and  the  railroad 
company  offer  reasonable  terms,  which  it  does  not  at  present  seem 
inclined  to  do. 

A second  great  advantage  of  the  New  Iberia  route  is  the  opportunity 
offered  for  shipping  salt  to  the  mouth  of  Red  River,  which  is  the  best 
place  for  a main  depot  to  supply  the  markets  of  the  Mississippi  Yalley. 
This  route  requires  surveys  and  thorough  examination ; but  it  is  said  by 
navigators  to  be  practicable.  It  is  not  recommended  as  immediately 
available : but  the  fact  that  it  may  become  so  is  an  argument  in  favor 
of  the  New  Iberia  railroad. 

Finally,  the  route  via  New  Iberia  has  the  great  advantage  of  being 
an  internal  one,  and  putting  the  mines  in  direct  communication  with 


1 New  Iberia  is  situated  in  latitude  30°  N.,  and  longitude  91°  45'  W.  of  Greenwich,  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Bayou  Teche,  the  banks  of  which  are,  at  that  point,  above  15-20  feet  high. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  town,  from  1,500  to  2,000  in  number,  are  largely  of  French  descent. 

The  Teche  is  navigable  up  to  this  point  for  steamers  and  barges  of  considerable  size. 

The  town  is  surrounded  by  a large  area  of  highly  fertile  land,  not  subject  to  overflow,  and 
cut  up  into  small  farms. 

From  this  point  run  three  weekly  stages  to  Texas,  and  communication  is  had  three  times  a 
week  by  steamer  with  Martinsville  and  Brashear  City.  It  will  be  a most  important  station  of 
the  New  Orleans  and  Houston  Railroad,  and  is  already  a principal  stopping  place  for  Texan 
drovers.  The  main  business  is  at  present  the  lumber  trade.  Several  saw-mills  are  in  operation. 
The  condition  of  affairs  seems  prosperous. 

The  prices  of  living  are  about  the  same  as  in  New  Orleans.  Wages  range  as  follows  : — 

White  male  labor,  $25  to  $30  per  month,  with  board  and  lodging. 

Colored  male  labor,  $10  to  $15  per  month,  “and  found” — an  item  amounting  to  about  $150 
annually. 

Colored  female  labor,  $7  to  $10  per  month,  “and  found.” 

Fuel  per  cord,  at  dealers’  rates,  $2  to  $2.50  per  cord. 


24 


numerous  local  markets ; whereas,  in  shipping  by  sea,  all  the  products 
must  go  to  one  depot,  and  be  re-distributed.  By  the  assistance  of  direct 
communication  with  the  interior,  the  Petit  Anse  salt  could  command  all 
these  markets  with  ease. 

These  facts  render  it  certain  that  sooner  or  later  the  main  communica- 
tion of  the  island  will  be  with  New  Iberia.  The  only  objection  to  the 
opening  of  this  route  at  once  is  the  cost  of  the  railroad  (about  eight  miles) 
from  the  mines  to  that  point,  which  ought  to  be  deferred  until  the  mines 
are  in  successful  operation.  It  is  therefore  recommended  that  the  route 
via  Bayou  Petit  Anse  be  employed  for  the  present,  and  the  railroad  to 
New  Iberia  be  looked  upon  as  a future  necessity.  The  prairie  road  from 
the  island  to  New  Iberia  should,  however,  be  immediately  improved,  as, 
for  many  reasons,  easy  communication  is  desirable.  The  outlay  of 
$10,000,  to  render  this  road  permanent,  would  soon  be  reimbursed  in  the 
saving  of  time  and  labor  in  teaming ; and  the  road  would  be  available 
afterwards  as  a foundation  for  the  railway. 

The  result  of  a mining  enterprise,  based  on  the  Petit  Anse  salt  deposit, 
depends— 

1.  On  the  character  and  extent  of  that  deposit; 

2.  On  the  existing  demand  for  the  product  of  the  mines  ; 

3.  On  the  possibility  of  competition  with  existing  sources  of  supply. 

The  first  of  these  heads  has  received  sufficient  explanation.  Concern- 
ing the  demand  for  salt,  which  ought  not  to  be  exceeded  by  the  production, 
it  may  be  remarked  that  the  importations  of  English  and  West  Indian 
salt  into  New  Orleans,  according  to  the  commercial  statistics  of  that  port, 
for  three  years  previous  to  1860  (after  which  period  the  normal  conditions 
were  deranged  by  the  war,  and  have  scarcely  yet  been  restored),  were  as 
follows : — i 

Year.  1857-58.  1858-59.  1859-60. 

English  salt  . . 669,873  640,866  852,324  sacks. 

Turk’s  Island  salt  . 168,557  183,935  368,620  “ 

These  sacks  contain  about  210  pounds,  or  three  bushels  each.  The 
quantity  of  English  salt  being  assumed  at  700,000,  and  that  of  Turk’s 
Island  salt  at  200,000  sacks  annually,  and  one-third  of  the  English  salt 
being  subtracted  as  fine  salt,  we  have  a total  importation  of  about 
700,000  sacks — a little  over  70,000  tons — of  coarse  salt  imported  into  New 
Orleans.  Allowing  30,000  tons  for  the  rest  of  the  Southern  ports,  we  have 
a grand  total  of  100,000  tons  per  annum  of  that  quality  of  salt  with 


25 


which  the  Petit  Anse  rock-salt  is  especially  able  to  compete.  This 
represents  a daily  production  of  350  tons,  at  the  most ; more  than  which 
will  glut  the  Southern  market.  By  great  cheapness  of  mining,  the  Petit 
Anse  salt  can  be  carried  into  more  distant  fields,  to  compete  successfully 
with  foreign  and  native  coarse  salts  upon  grounds  hitherto  considered  their 
own.  The  whole  importation  of  English  coarse  salt,  for  instance,  is  stated 
to  have  been,  before  the  war,  four  times  as  great  as  that  of  the  single 
port  of  New  Orleans.1  It  is  a question  to  be  determined  hereafter,  how 
far  north  the  Petit  Anse  salt  could  be  profitably  sent.  Doubtless,  under 
the  protection  of  the  present  tariff,  its  prospects  are  good ; but  an  import- 
ant question  is  whether,  without  protection,  this  salt  can  compete  success- 
fully with  foreign  importations,  in  the  Southern  market. 

The  Petit  Anse  salt  is  here  considered  as  competing  mainly  with  foreign  salt,  imported 
through  the  Southern  ports.  Hence,  only  the  importation  of  English  and  West  Indian 
“ coarse-fine  ” at  Now  Orleans,  Charleston,  Savannah,  and  Mobile,  has  been  assumed 
as  a basis  of  calculation  concerning  the  market  open  to  the  product  of  Petit  Anse.  The 
extent  of  this  market  is  limited  by  the  cost  of  production  and  transportation.  At 
present,  St.  Louis  may  be  considered  the  northern  limit,  since  at  that  place  the  English 
salt,  transported  via  the  Mississippi,  meets  the  native  manufactured  salt  of  the  Northern 
States.  As  has  been  already  observed,  it  is  uncertain  how  far  beyond  this  present  limit 
the  Petit  Anse  salt  can  be  profitably  carried. 

At  Syracuse,  solar  or  coarse  salt  amounts  to  about  two-sevenths  of  the  whole 
production;  at  Saginaw,  about  one-half.  Ohio  manufactures  but  a very  small  propor- 
tion of  solar  salt — mainly  at  Zanesville. 

The  working  capacity  of  establishments  for  the  manufacture  of  salt  within  the 
United  States  exceeds  in  every  instance  the  demand  of  their  respective  markets.  Syra- 
cuse could  manufacture  more  than  twelve  million  bushels ; while  Ohio  and  Michigan,  it 
is  claimed,  could  increase  their  production  almost  without  limit.  A monopoly,  inde- 
pendent of  cost  of  transportation,  is  therefore  out  of  the  question. 

The  statistics  of  production  and  consumption  for  the  whole  United  States,  previous 
to  the  war  (in  1858),  were  as  follows: — 


New  York  produced 

7.000. 000  bushels  (@  56  pounds). 

4.000. 000  “ “ 

Ohio  “ 

Virginia  “ 

1,900,000 

U 

Pennsylvania  “ 

1,000,000 

U 

Kentucky  “ 

250,000 

U 

Florida  “ 

100,000 

U 

Texas  “ 

25,000 

u 

Massachusetts  “ 

15,000 

u 

Michigan  “ 

5,000 

u 

Illinois  “ 

5,000  “ 

u 

Total  home  manufacture, 

14,300,000  “ 

Foreign  importations, 

17,165,000  “ 

Total  consumption, 
Equal  to  881,020  tons. 

31,465,000 

1 The  yield  of  the  Cheshire  salt-field  for  1864  was  58,030  tons  of  rock-salt,  and  695,558  of 
refined,  against  65,136  tons  rock,  and  754,700  refined,  of  the  year  previous.  From  Stoke  and 
Droitwich,  in  Worcestershire,  in  1864,  the  total  supply  was  167,000  tons,  of  which  about  40,000 
tons  were  exported.  For  the  same  year,  17,245  tons  of  rock-salt  were  raised  at  Belfast,  Ireland. 

From  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  were  exported  to  the  United  States 
the  following  quantities  of  salt:  in  1862,  147,302  tons  (£44,044);  1863,  69,181  tons  (£26,977); 
1864,  86,208  tons  (£36,623). — Mineral  Statistics,  London,  1865. 


26 


For  the  present  production  full  statistics  are  wanting.  Virginia  has  fallen  off 
largely,  in  consequence  of  repeated  destruction  of  the  works  during  the  war.  Michigan, 
on  the  other  hand,  has  increased  its  annual  yield,  which  is  stated  to  have  been,  for 
1866,  60,000  bushels  of  solar,  and  1,650,000  bushels  of  fine,  making  in  all  1,710,000 
bushels,  an  amount  which  falls  short,  however,  of  the  production  of  1865,  by  400,000 
to  450,000  bushels. 

In  an  official  report  to  the  Government  by  General  Banks,  in  1862, 
it  is  stated,  that  the  average  price  in  New  Orleans  of  Liverpool  ground, 
so-called,  alum-salt,  in  sacks  (commonly  known  as  l'  coarse-fine”),  has  been, 
from  on  shipboard,  during  the  last  fifteen  years,  about  50  cents  per  sack  of 
about  three  bushels  (70  lbs.),  or  one  quarter  of  a cent  per  lb.,  including 
the  cost  of  the  sack.  This  would  he  about  $3  (gold)  per  ton  for  the  salt 
alone — a price  scarcely  exceeding  the  cost  at  Liverpool.  It  is  the  well- 
known  policy  of  English  manufacturers  to  break  down  competition  by 
selling  at  cost  if  necessary,  until  they  have  gained  control  of  the  market ; 
and  the  opportunity  of  shipping  salt  as  ballast  almost  without  expense,  in 
vessels  coming  for  cotton,  enables  them,  in  the  present  instance,  to  sell  at 
the  above  rates.  Those  rates  are  the  lowest,  however,  that  the  English 
manufacturer  will  he  able  to  afford ; and  if  American  mines  can  once 
.compete  with  them,  the  market  will  be  won.  At  present,  the  tariff  gives 
a protection  of  18  cents  per  100  lbs.  in  bulk,  and  21  cents  in  sacks, 
barrels,  or  other  packages,  or  at  least  $3.60  (gold)  per  ton. 

According  to  all  the  information  which  can  at  present  be  obtained,  the 
cost  of  lump  salt  on  board  vessel  at  Petit  Anse  should  not  exceed  $1  per 
ton,  when  the  mines  are  fairly  open;1  and  transportation  to  New  Orleans 
(300  miles)  should  not  exceed  $3  per  ton.  The  agent  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  Towboat  Transportation  Company  offers  to  carry  the  salt  from 
New  Orleans  to  St.  Louis  (1,200  miles),  in  sack  or  in  bulk,  unloading 
included,  for  $1  per  ton,  which  amounts  to  $3.50  for  the  carrying  alone. 
This  compares  very  favorably  with  the  propositions  made  to  the  Salt 
Company  for  the  sea-transportation  of  less  than  one  quarter  the  distance. 
The  salt  could  be  put  in  New  Orleans,  then,  at  a cost  of  $4  per  ton,  and 
in  St.  Louis  at  $8. 

The  estimate  of  $3  per  ton,  as  the  maximum  cost  of  transportation  from  Petit  Anse 
to  New  Orleans,  is  based  : — 

1.  On  the  representations  made  to  Dr.  Goessmann  by  experienced  navigators,  not 
interested  in  any  contract  or  scheme  with  the  Petit  Anse  Company. 

2.  On  the  analogy  of  the  coastwise  coal-trade  of  the  Atlantic  States. 

3.  On  the  rates  of  transportation  now  ruling  on  the  Lower  Mississippi  and  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico. 


1 The  cost  of  raising  salt  at  Stassfurth  is  something  less  than  2-J  silver  groscheu  (6  cents)  per 
centner  (113.426  lbs.);  or  about  $1.06  per  ton,  which  is  the  price  at  which  it  sold,  without  prepa- 
ration, in  1864. 


27 


The  estimate  of  one  dollar  per  ton  a9  mining  cost  is  reckoned  upon  an  annual  yield 
of  not  less  than  80,000,  nor  more  than  100,000  tons. 

Such  a yield  can  be  looked  for  only  after  the  preparatory  work  of  sinking  shafts  shall 
have  been  completed,  and  the  driving  of  gangways  made  extensive  progress.  The  pro- 
duction of  the  first  year  would  only  comprise  the  amount  of  salt  removed  in  these 
preparatory  workings.  The  regular  shipping  business  of  the  Company  may  be  deferred 
until  the  second  year,  or  even  later  ; or  the  salt  may  be  shipped  from  time  to  time,  as  it 
accumulates.  A uniform  daily  production  during  this  period  can  scarcely  be  expected. 

The  greatest  difficulty  in  connection  with  these  estimates  is  the  uncertainty  of  the 
present  data  concerning  the  extent — especially  the  thickness — of  the  deposit.  In  case 
this  should  largely  exceed  the  present  ascertained  limits,  the  plan  of  workings  could  be 
proportionately  extended,  at  a somewhat  diminished  ratio  of  original  outlay;  since 
many  permanent  improvements  are  made  at  the  outset  once  for  all,  and,  within  certain 
bounds,  the  greater  distribution  of  running  expenses  also  follows  from  the  greater  scale 
of  operations. 

To  approximate,  therefore,  to  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  production,  the  condition 
of  settled  and  regular  working  must  be  given — a condition  which  depends  altogether, 
as  to  time,  on  the  skill  and  energy  with  which  developments  are  carried  on.  Mean- 
while, there  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  that  a yield  of  15,000  (or  more)  tons  may  be 
expected  from  the  shaft  and  gangway  workings,  during  one  year  of  judicious  and 
skilful  development.  This  should  be  more  than  trebled  the  second  year,  and  so  on 
until  one  set  of  horizontal  workings  shall  reach  their  highest  capacity,  approximately 
assumed  at  80,000  to  100,000  tons. 

Should  the  salt  prove  sufficiently  massive  or  thick  to  admit  a second  series  of 
workings,  the  hoisting  capacity  of  the  shaft  will  be  the  only  limit  to  the  production  of 
one  set  of  workings  within  double  the  maximum  of  the  first  tier  (or  160,000  to  200,000 
tons). 

As  a part  of  the  cost  of  production,  account  is  taken  of  salaries  and  wages,  wear  and 
tear  of  machinery,  fuel,  implements,  and  feed  for  animals ; and  of  the  interest  on 
original  capital  expended  in  mining  works  proper.  The  interest  on  capital  laid  out  in 
roads,  vessels,  dredging,  warehouses,  and  other  surface  improvements,  is  not  included, 
but  must  be  made  a lien  on  the  profits  of  the  enterprise. 

In  the  absence  of  exact  American  precedents,  it  is  believed  that  the  conditions  of 
labor  and  construction  in  American  coal-mining  afford  the  best  analogy  to  the  case 
under  consideration,  due  allowance  being  made  for  the  great  difference  in  wages,  in 
favor  of  the  proposed  enterprise. 

A miner  will  probably  take  out  in  stall-workings  from  8 to  12  tons  of  rock  salt  per 
diem , at  an  actual  cost  for  wages,  tools,  and  appliances,  of  30  to  40  cents  per  ton.  The 
margin  between  this  sum  and  the  ultimate  cost  of  $1  per  ton,  amounting,  as  it  would 
to  some  $50,000  per  annum  on  a yield  of  80,000  tons,  is  ample  to  cover  all  other 
expenses  of  production  above  enumerated,  together  with  a reasonable  allowance  for 
contingencies. 

It  should  be  distinctly  understood  that  the  estimate  given  for  this  production  does 
not  apply  to  the  cost  of  salt  taken  out  in  sinking  and  driving.  This  labor  is  to  be 
regarded  as  permanent  improvement,  the  expense  of  which,  may,  or  may  not  be  covered 
by  the  mineral  extracted. 

The  present  price  of  English  “ coarse-fine  ” salt  in  New  Orleans  is 
$16  per  ton,  of  which  perhaps  $5  is  the  cost  of  the  sacks,  and  $6  the 
United  States  duty,  leaving  $5  currency  as  the  price  of  the  salt. 

It  is  evident  that  the  salt  of  Petit  Anse  might  possibly  drive  the 
English  salt  from  the  market  without  a tariff,  but  that  with  one  it 
would  certainly  do  so,  by  virtue  of  its  superior  purity  and  cheapness. 

A few  words  are  needed  as  to  the  prospects  of  increased  demand  in 
new  directions,  and  the  uses  to  which  this  salt  is  best  adapted. 

The  applications  of  salt  depend  largely  on  its  grain  or  physical  con- 


28 


dition.  For  dairy  purposes,  time-grained  boiled  salt  is  generally  pre- 
ferred ; for  table  and  other  domestic  uses,  the  market  may  be  considered 
as  equally  divided  between  the  two  kinds ; while  for  packing,  the  coarse, 
hard  crystals  of  solar  or  rock-salt  ai’e  almost  exclusively  used. 

A field  of  unlimited  extent  may  be  opened  in  the  use  of  salt  for 
manufacturing  purposes.  A protective  duty  on  foreign  soda  would  create 
a home  consumption  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tons  of  salt  annually, 
for  the  soda  manufacture  alone.1 

The  facts  above  detailed  indicate  the  true  policy  of  a company  under- 
taking to  develop  the  resources  of  Petit  Anse.  That  policy  should  be, — 

1.  To  expend  as  little  as  possible  in  extensive  outside  investments 
before  the  mines  are  successfully  in  operation. 

2.  To  take  advantage  of  the  tariff  to  obtain  and  hold  the  Southern 
market. 

3.  To  proceed,  after  these  results  are  attained,  to  open  permanent 
routes  of  communication,  and  extend  operations  to  the  utmost  limits 
warranted  by  transportation. 

4.  To  encourage  as  much  as  possible  the  manufacture  of  soda  in  the 
South. 

The  construction  of  a railroad  to  New  Iberia  would  require  an  outlay 
of  some  $150,000  apart  from  the  expenditure  for  improvement  of  naviga- 
tion, mines,  machinery,  buildings,  wagon-roads,  &c. — above  estimated  at 
about  $250,000.  For  future  enlargement  of  operations,  the  means  should 
be  drawn  mainly  from  the  earnings  of  the  enterprise  itself. 


From  the  foregoing  statement  the  following  conclusions  may  be 
presented : 

1.  That  the  salt  deposit  of  Petit  Anse  Island  is  one  of  superior 
quality,  and  already  proved  to  be  sufficiently  extensive  to  afford  a basis 
for  mining  on  a large  scale  for  many  years,  and  that  its  real  extent  is 
indefinitely  greater  than  has  been  so  far  discovered. 

2.  That  a demand  for  such  salt  already  exists,  which  would  absorb  a 
large  production. 


1 The  consumption  of  salt  in  1852,  in  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  alkali,  was  137,547  gross  tons.  This  amount  was  used  in  the  production  of  soda-ash, 
71,493  tons;  crystal  soda,  61,044  tons;  bicarbonate  of  soda,  5,762  tons;  bleaching  powder, 
13,100  tons;  total  value  of  products,  £1,234,580  By  doubling  these  figures  the  present  yield 
and  value  of  the  manufacture  may  be  approximately  determined — the  manufacture  in  Lancashire 
having  greatly  increased  of  late  years. — Muspratt’s  Chem.  as  Applied  to  the  Arts,  vol  ii.,  p.  938. 


29 


3.  That  the  English  and  West  Indian  salts,  which  now  supply  this 
demand  in  the  Southern  States,  can  be  supplanted  with  ease  by  that  of 
these  mines ; and  with  profit,  so  long  as  the  tariff  continues  to  afford  pro- 
tection. 

4.  That  new  demands  may  be  created,  increasing  to  an  unlimited 
extent  the  consumption  of  this  salt. 


APPENDIX 


I. 

From  the  following  tabular  statement  of  Borings,  it  appears  that  salt  has  been 
struck  in  Borings  A,  B,  E,  G,  R,  T,  and  U.  To  these  must  be  added  the  working  pits 
numbered  on  the  map  from  1 to  10.  A line  drawn  through  the  outermost  borings  of 
this  group,  say  from  A to  E,  B,  U,  and  A again,  would  inclose  the  space  of  about  144 
acres,  referred  to  in  the  text,  as  the  area  proved  to  be  underlaid  by  salt. 

Further  discussion  of  the  data  afforded  by  this  table  will  be  found  in  Art.  II.  of  this 
appendix. 

The  top  of  the  piles  at  Avery’s  Landing  are  taken  as  high-tide  level  = 100. 


Date. 

Holes. 

Level,  High 
Tide  = 100. 

Deptil 

Level  of  Bottoms 
below  High  Tide. 

Remarks. 

ft- 

ft- 

Aug.  3 and  4 

A 

114-27 

35-00 

20-73 

Salt. 

Aug.  6 and  7 

B 

108-22 

40-00 

31-78 

Salt. 

Aug.  9 

O 

111-04 

37-00 

25-96 

Aug.  10  

D 

100-08 

38  00 

37-92 

Aug.  11  and  13 

E 

105-21 

31-50 

26-29 

Salt. 

Aug.  13,  14,  and  15 

F 

111-55 

53-50 

41-95 

Aug.  16,  17,  and  18 

G 

110-37 

31-00 

20-63 

Salt  earth. 

Aug.  20 

H 

102-59 

36-50 

33-91 

I 

98-89 

46-96 

48-07 

. 

K 

126-65 

42-00 

15-35 

L 

128-92 

34-00 

5-08 

Auger  broke.  \ ^ 

M 

128-56 

35-00 

6-44 

Auger  broke.  \ S 

N 

115-32 

21-25 

5-93 

D 

O 

125-77 

44-00 

18-23 

m 

P 

121-65 

41-00 

19-35 

Q 

122-64 

44-00 

22-36 

Oct.  15  and  16 

R 

108-20 

27-50 

19-30 

Salt. 

Oct.  16  and  17 

S 

101-52 

46-80 

45-28 

Oct.  19 

T 

131-56 

35-00 

3-44 

Salt. 

Oct.  20,  22,  and  23  . 

U 

135-63 

33-90 

1-73  above. 

Salt. 

V 

142-97 

41-40 

1-57  above. 

w 

125-35 

47-30 

2195  below. 

X 

133-71 

31 


I I. 

The  comparisons  made  in  the  Report  between  Stations  U and  B,  and  Stations  A and 
T,  may  be  also  extended  to  other  opposite  stations;  for  instance, 

Station  Q is  1,860  feet  north  of  Station  R. 

At  Q,  we  have : level  of  ground,  22-64  feet  above  tide ; depth  of  hole,  45  feet ; no 
salt  at  22-36  feet  below  high  tide. 

At  R : level  of  ground  8-2  feet  above  tide ; depth  of  boring,  27'5  feet.  Salt  struck 
at  19 '3  feet  below  high  tide.  A difference  of  at  least  more  than  3 -06  feet  in  the  level 
of  the  surface  of  the  salt. 

Station  G is  2,700  feet  west  of  Station  U.  At  G,  salt  earth  was  found  22-63  feet 
below  tide.  At  U,  salt  was  struck  1'73  feet  above  tide;  giving  a difference  in  level  of 
22'33  feet. 

These  comparisons  indicate  what  has  already  been  deduced  from  geological  evidence, 
namely,  that  the  surface  of  the  salt  presents  no  uniformly  inclined  plane,  like  a stratum 
upheaved  or  tilted,  but  slopes  in  different  directions,  having  its  highest  discovered  point 
at  U,  and  probably  owing  its  configuration  entirely  to  erosive  action.  It  follows,  there- 
fore, that  the  absence  of  salt  in  16  borings,  even  supposing  these  borings  to  have  been 
properly  made,  and,  so  far  as  they  go,  trustworthy,  is  no  conclusive  evidence  of  inter- 
ruptions or  sudden  terminations  of  the  deposit ; but  must  pass  for  an  indication  of  only 
local  depressions  in  the  surface.  The  question  of  its  superficial  extent  is  thus  left  open, 
with  strong  probabilities  in  favor  of  a much  larger  area  than  the  one  now  ascertained. 


I II. 


The  following  data,  derived  from  a statement  of  Mr.  John  M.  Avery,  a son  of  .Judge 
Avery,  present  a sketch  of  the  history  of  the  salt  pits.  Mr.  Avery  was  charged  by  the 
Confederate  General,  D.  Taylor,  with  the  general  superintendence  of  the  works. 

The  pits  were  ten  in  number,  and  are  ranged  in  the  order  of  their  age  in  the  following 
table : — 


No. 

Name  op  Pit. 

Depth  at  which  Salt  was  Struck. 

Depth  in 
the  Salt. 

4 

Judge  D.  D.  Avery’s  Pit. 

17  feet  below  the  surface. 

ft 

38 

3 

Hays  & Barlow 

44 

12  to  17 

44 

a 

44 

24  to  31 

2l 

Confederate  Govt. 

44 

17  to  20 

44 

a 

44 

25  to  30 

5 

Mississippi 

44 

15  to  17 

u 

<4 

12  to  15 

6 

John  M.  Avery’s 

u 

15  to  17 

u 

44 

“ \ 

9 

Mcllhenny’8 

u 

14 

u 

44 

44 

10  to  15 

8 

Georgia 

u 

15  to  17 

u 

(4 

44 

15  to  20 

10 

Alabama 

u 

17 

u 

44 

44 

12  to  13 

7 

Opelousas 

u 

17 

u 

44 

44 

10 

Kemarks. 


First  discov- 
ery in  Pit  4, 
May  4, 1862. 


In  none  of  the 
pits  was  there 
any  change  in 
the  deposit  at 
the  lowest 
depth  of  work- 
ing. 


The  present  managers  have  opened  an  additional  pit  (called  the  “ shaft  house  ” upon 
the  map)  northwest  of  No.  4.  It  is  said  to  be  20  to  30  feet  deep.  Salt  struck  at  17 
feet  below  the  surface — the  pit  now  9 to  10  feet  in  the  salt.  It  is  being  worked  by 
blasting,  under  the  charge  of  Colonel  Greenleaf. 

Dr.  Goessmann’s  pit  was  located  near  the  “ shaft  house,”  in  order  to  benefit  by  the 
bailing,  which  is  continually  going  on  in  the  above  pit. 


32 


IY. 

The  present  course  of  the  salt  trade  can  hardly  be  considered  established,  as  the 
changes  of  tariff  and  irregularities  in  certain  branches  of  exportation,  influencing  deci- 
dedly our  importation  of  salt,  are  still  active  as  disturbing  causes.  The  main  fluctua- 
tions are  in  the  autumn  season,  when  the  peculiar  condition  of  our  export  trade  in 
cotton  and  grain  facilitates  a large  importation  of  foreign  salt. 


Y. 

The  cost  of  manufacturing  salt  is  of  course  much  higher  than  before  the  war.  The 
difference,  however,  is  of  more  consequence  to  the  consumer  than  the  manufacturer, 
since  the  duty  on  foreign  salt  enables  the  home  product  to  compete  with  it. 

The  following  statistics  show  the  relative  conditions  of  different  establishments  at 
different  times.  The  cost  of  boiled  salt  depends  mainly  on  the  price  of  fuel  and  the  rate 
of  wages.  Solar  salt  is  generally  somewhat  cheaper. 

Syracuse. — In  1857,  one  barrel  of  fine  salt,  containing  5 bushels  or  about  280  pounds, 
cost  the  manufacturer,  barrel  included,  $1.05,  and  was  sold  at  $1.25;  the  barrel  cost 
about  26  cents.  In  1865  the  barrel  of  fine  salt  cost  $3.27,  and  was  sold  at  $2.35  ; the 
barrel  and  packing  costing  50  cents.  For  further  illustration  see  the  Annual  Reports 
of  the  Superintendent  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs — particularly  the  Report  of  Janu- 
ary, 1866 ; also  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of  the  Senate  of  New  York  on  the  manufac- 
ture of  salt , March , 1863  ; also  Testimony  in  Regard  to  the  Distribution  of  Salt  Water, 
the  Manufacture  of  Salt,  &c.,  before  the  Assembly  Committee , February , 1863. 

Michigan. — Prof.  Winchell  stated,  in  1862,  the  cost  of  making  salt  at  Saginaw  to  be 
64  cents  per  barrel  of  5 bushels,  without  the  barrel.  In  1866.  it  is  said  that  the  cost  of 
one  barrel  of  fine  salt  delivered  on  board  the  vessel  is  $1.25  to  $1.30,  and  the  market 
price  (in  lots  of  5,000  barrels)  at  Saginaw  is  $1.65  to  $1.85.  The  price  of  the  same  lots 
at  Chicago  is  $2.20  to  $2.35;  or,  in  car-loads,  at  Saginaw,  $1.90  to  $2.00  per  barrel;  at 
Chicago,  $2.50  to  $2.55  per  barrel. 


Freights  from  Saginaw  to  lake  ports  have  been  very  high  during  the  past  year, 
ranging  as  follows: — 

From  Saginaw  to  Chicago,  per  barrel  ....  45-50  cents. 

“ “ to  Milwaukee,  “ 45-50  “ 

“ “ to  Detroit  and  Toledo  ....  40-45  “ 


Rates  of  freight  from  Syracuse  via  Erie  Canal  were,  in  1862:  — 

To  Chicago  and  Milwaukee,  per  barrel  ....  22-2  cents. 

To  Lake  Erie  ports,  per  barrel 17'6  “ 

( Vide  Senate  Report,  1863,  and  Testimony  on  the  Distribution  of  Salt,  &c.,  p.  4-5. 


YI. 


The  following  table  shows  the  policy  heretofore  pursued  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment in  relation  to  this  manufacture  : — 

A. — Duties  on  Foreign  Salt. 

1789  to  1798 — 6 cents  per  bushel  of  56  pounds. 

1798  “ 1807—20  “ “ “ 


33 


1807  to  1812 — No  duty. 

1812  “ 1830 — 20  cents  per  bushel  of  56  pounds. 

1831—15 

1832  and  1833—10  “ “ “ 

1834  “ 1835—9-4  “ “ “ 

1836  “ 1837—8-8  “ “ “ 

1838  “ 1839—8-2  “ “ “ 

1840  “ 1841—7-6  “ “ “ 

1842  to  1846—8  “ “ 

1846  “ 1857 — An  ad  valorem  duty  of  20  per  cent.,  which,  considering  the  valua- 
tion of  salt  at  the  port  of  shipment,  amounted,  practically,  to  1 cent,  per  bushel  of 
56  pounds. 

1857 — An  ad  valorem  duty  of  15  per  cent. 

1865 —  18  cents  on  100  pounds  in  bnlk,  and  24  cents  on  100  pounds  in  packages  of 
any  description,  or  from  10  to  13-5  cents  per  bushel. 

The  average  duty  on  foreign  salt  has  therefore  been,  since  the  formation  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, 10  cents  per  bushel. 

B. — Internal  Revenue  Tax. 

1866 —  On  home-manufactured  salt,  a tax  of  3 cents  per  100  pounds,  or  about  1-7 
cents  per  bushel.  This  leaves  the  protection  of  the  tariff,  at  present,  about  8-3  cents 
per  bushel. 

The  only  State  tax  now  imposed  on  the  manufacture  of  salt  is  that  which  the  State 
of  New  York,  owning  the  ground  worked  by  the  Onondaga  Salt  Reservation,  collects 
from  the  manufacturers  whom  it  supplies  with  brine.  This  tax  amounts  to  1 cent  per 
bushel ; but  it  can  hardly  be  considered  a burden,  as  the  State  assumes  the  expenses  of 
pumping,  inspection,  and  superintendency,  and  delivers  the  brine  at  the  respective  works. 


y ii. 

The  present  prices  of  salt  in  the  various  markets  of  the  country  are  given  below.  In 
order  to  understand  the  bearings  of  these  figures,  it  is  well  to  keep  in  mind  the  following 
facts : — 

One  bushel  of  coarse  salt  weighs  from  70  to  75  lbs. 

One  bushel  of  common  fine  salt  (boiled)  weighs  from  56-60  lbs. 

One  bushel  of  salt,  when  not  otherwise  specified,  is  assumed  to  equal  56  lbs. 

One  sack  of  English  coarse-ground  salt  is  equal  to  three  bushels  of  70  lbs.  each,  or 
210  lbs.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  at  New  Orleans  has  established  a standard  of 
204  lbs.,  allowing  6 lbs.  for  loss  of  weight. 

One  car-load  of  salt  is  usually  considered  equal  to  82-83  sacks  of  204  lbs.  each,  or 
about  16,800  lbs. 

Fifty  lbs.  of  salt  are  considered  necessary,  at  New  Orleans,  for  packing  one  barrel  of 
pork. 

The  usual  ton  employed  is  the  light  ton,  of  2,000  lbs.  avoirdupois,  or  28-57  bushels 
of  70  lbs.  each.  The  English  or  heavy  ton  (2,240  lbs.)  is  taken  as  equal  to  30  bushels  of 
coarse  salt  (70-75  lbs.) 

One  barrel  of  common  fine  salt  (boiled)  contains  280  lbs.,  or  5 bushels  (56  lbs.  each). 
A barrel  of  coarse  salt  contains  the  same  quantity  by  weight,  and  is  estimated  at 
5 bushels  of  56  lbs.  each  upon  all  price-lists,  where  other  measure  is  not  expressly  men- 
tioned. 

The  following  statistics  of  market  price  are  taken  from  the  commercial  lists  of  the 
dates  specified : — 


New  Orleans,  Deo.  8,  1866. 

English  coarse  and  fine  salt  per  sack — 

In  store $1  85 


5 


34 


In  cargo,  old  ..........  1 65-1  7 

In  cargo,  new  . . . . . . . . . . 1 75 

Delivered  in  the  city,  coarse  . . . . . . 2 10 

Delivered  ill  the  city,  fine  . . . . . . . 2 15 

Turk’s  Island,  per  bushel 70-75  cts. 

Memphis,  Deo.  10,  1866. 

Coarse  salt,  per  barrel  of  280  lbs.  ......  $3  25-3  50 

Coarse  salt,  per  barrel  of  7 bushels 4 25 

Liverpool,  per  sack  . . . . . - v • • • 2 75-3  00 

Liverpool,  per  barrel,  fine  ........  5 00-5  25 

Oxford,  Miss.,  Deo.  10,  1866. 

Liverpool  fine  salt  per  lb.,  at  retail 4 cts. 

One  carload  (82-83  sacks),  from  Memphis,  costs  . . . $30  00-32  00 

Columbus,  Ky.,  Deo.  13,  1866. 

Kanawha  salt,  fine,  per  barrel,  280  lbs.  . . . . $3  00 

Ohio  Run  salt,  fine,  per  barrel,  280  lbs 3 25 

St.  Louis,  Deo.  13,  1866. 

English  ground  coarse,  per  sack,  204  lbs.  ....  $2  50-2  65 

Turk’s  Island  coarse,  per  sack,  204  lbs.  . . . .2  20-2  30 

Onondaga,  per  barrel,  280  lbs.  ......  3 10-3  20 

Kanawha  and  Ohio,  per  barrel,  280  lbs.  . . . . . 3 10 


Cincinnati,  Deo.  14,  1865. 

Ohio  River  Salt  Co.  and  Kanawha  Salt  Co.  sell — 

Common  fine  salt,  per  barrel,  280  lbs. 

Dairy  salt,  per  barrel  “ ... 

Table  salt,  per  barrel  “ . . . . 

Turk’s  Island,  per  bushel  ..... 
Liverpool  coarse,  per  sack  ..... 

Syracuse— Price  List  of  1866. 


At  the  works  of  the  Salt  Co.  of  Onondaga : — 

Fine  salt,  per  barrel  of  280  lbs.  . . . . . . $2  35 

Coarse  screened,  per  barrel  of  280  lbs.  . . . . . 2 40 

Ground  solar,  per  barrel  of  280  lbs.  . . . . . 2 40 

Factory  filled  dairy,  per  barrel  of  280  lbs.  . . . . . 3 00 

Fine  salt,  per  bushel  of  56  lbs.,  loose  .....  38 

Coarse,  screened,  per  bushel  of  56  lbs.,  loose  ....  39 

Solar,  dairy,  per  bushel  of  56  lbs.,  loose  .....  48 

Factory  filled  dairy,  per  bushel  of  56  lbs.,  loose  ....  49 

New  York,  Deo.  29,  1866. 

Onondaga  F.  F.  dairy,  per  sack  of  240  lbs.  . . . $3  00 

Onondaga  solar,  per  bushel  .....  55 

Onondaga  common  fine,  per  bushel  ......  45 

“ Ashton”  English  fine,  per  sack  of  240  lbs.  (dealer’s  jobbing 

prices,  currency)  . . . . . . . . . 4 25 

Liverpool  ground  and  Turk’s  Island  salt  (dealer’s  jobbing  prices, 

currency),  per  bushel  of  70  lbs.  .....  65-70  cl' 

Liverpool  ground,  wholesale,  per  sack,  currency  . . .1  90-1  5 


. $2  80 
. 3 25 

3 50 

. . 75-80  cts. 

2 50 


35 


y 1 1 1 . 


Captain  Trinidad,  of  the  IT.  S.  Mail  steamer,  on  the  Bayou  Teohe,  considered  rwell 
informed,  favor9  the  opinion  that,  by  means  of  strong  barges  and  tug-boats,  salt  may  be 
carried  directly  from  Petit  Anse  via  Vermilion  Bay  and  the  Mississippi,  for  26  cents 
per  sack  to  New  Orleans,  and  for  64  cents  to  St.  Louis. 

The  Atlantic  Steamship  Company  of  New  Orleans  offers  to  carry  salt  from  that 
port,  in  quantities  of  1,000  sacks,  at  the  following  rates: — 

To  Galveston,  40  cents  per  sack. 

To  Mobile,  45  cents  per  sack. 

To  Memphis,  35  cents  per  sack. 

Above  Memphis  (to  St.  Louis),  35  cents  per  sack. 


I X . 

A.  Distances  from  Petit  Anse  Island  to 


New  Iberia — air  line. 7 miles. 

New  Iberia — by  present-prairie  road 9^  “ 

Vermilion  Bay — from  the  present  landing  . . . . 4 “ 

Berwick’s  Bay — from  the  present  landing  . . . . 84  “ 

Sabine  Pass,  Texas 120  “ 

New  Orleans 304  “ 

New  Orleans — from  Southwest  Pass,  Vermilion  Bay  . 275  “ 

Mouth  of  Mississippi 204  “ 

Mouth  of  Mississippi — from  Southwest  Pass  . . . 175  “ 


It  is  thought  that  five  trips  may  be  made  within  two  months  from  Petit  Anse  to 
New  Orleans. 

B.  Distances  from  New  Iberia  to  Brashear  Cisty. 


By  steamer  (Bayou  Teche) 72  miles. 

By  present  highway 56  “ 


By  projected  New  Orleans,  Opelousas  and  Great  Western  R.  R.  46  “ 

C.  Distances  from  Brashear  City 

To  Algiers  (opposite  N.  O.),  by  N.  0.,  Opelousas  and  Gt.  W.  R.  R.  80  miles. 
To  Galveston,  by  steamer 21  hours. 

D.  Distances  from  New  Orleans 

To  St.  Louis,  by  the  Mississippi  River  ....  1,200  miles. 


NORTH 


P L yV  N 

PETIT  ANSFE  ISLAND. 


0 PORTION 


PRY'S  ESTATE 


SURVEYED  PORTION 


